threephi
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2014
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I'm not sure what you mean by successors then, IMO it's clear that the 300 series DAP's are AK's next step in advancing the product line, and I don't see any reason they would go back to the older formfactor of the AK100ii and AK120ii. The AK70 has the same DAC chip as the AK100ii so it's essentially the "budget" version with a smaller feature set.
I should also mention that I have a 120ii which I am extremely happy with, and IMO the newer models don't give me any reason to upgrade.
Based on what little I know about USB-C, I don't see any advantage whatsoever for dedicated audio gear. It's designed for smartphones and computers, to allow pushing the DAC off the device and into the earphones, which makes some sense for a smartphone since that would free up considerable internal space and reduce some signal interference between all the various functions of the device. DAP's are of course all about the audio already and don't have the problems USB-C "solves". I don't see DAC's being integrated into high-end phones or buds either so there's really no reason for it with high-end audio gear, all it will do is force you to use an adapter.
i thought faster data transfer and charging speeds were huge advantages. so imho there's no reason to *not* include usb-c. but that's just my uneducated opinion.
Yeah that would make it an improvement over the existing micro USB connector for charging and data transfer, but the way it's being touted is mostly as a way to remove the 3.5mm audio jack on phones, and that's what I was thinking of.